suricate (English)

Where does "suricate" come from?

The English noun 'suricate', meaning a member of the mongoose family known as the meerkat[1], was borrowed from the French word 'suricate'[1]. The French form developed from an earlier spelling 'surikate', which ultimately originates from a South African language[2].

Open questions

• The precise source South African language for the earlier form 'surikate' is not specified. [2]

Full etymology tree

• suricate (English), 'The meerkat, a member of the mongoose family.'
  • borrowed suricate (French), 'meerkat (mammal)'
    • derived surikate (French)
      • borrowed South African language (South African language)

Ancestors

• suricate (French)

Sources

1. suricate (English) - Wiktionary
2. suricate (French) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris